Community activist weighs in on City Council race

Community activist Gregory Barnes, never one to shy away from discussing race and politics, emailed a Letter to the Editor to Baldwin2k on Friday morning.

The letter focused on race and politics, more specifically next month's City Council District 5 election between incumbent Boo Mullins and political newcomer Jessica McQuain. To set the table, Barnes and Mullins are African-American, while McQuain is white.

In the letter, Barnes doesn't directly come out and endorse McQuain in District 5, but he does "strongly urge voters in district five to consider Ms. McQuain as an alternative to Mr. Mullins if she can commit to championing diversity and inclusiveness as their representative." If nothing else, the letter is a rebuke of Mullins, who's seeking his fifth full terms on the City Council.

Baldwin2k News will begin its candidate profiles next week and plans to catch up with both Mullins and McQuain for comment.

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The letter was more diplomatic compared to several social media posts and letters that Barnes released during the summer of 2020. At the time, Barnes sounded off on the three African-American City Council members and their decision to elevate Hank Griffeth to permanent city manager. Griffeth, who is white, was the lone finalist for the position, and the “interim” was removed from his title
on June 23, 2020. The final vote by the City Council was 6-0. The following day, Barnes sent an e-mail to City Hall intended for Milledgeville’s three African-American City Council members – Collinda Lee, Mullins and Denese Shinholster. Barnes’ chief concern was the fact that the City Council failed to conduct “a national search” for city manager candidates. In the email, questioned why the City Council “failed to mandate a national search for City Manager” and “failed to mandate a committee to oversee said search and recommend the three best candidates” and “failed to introduce the the three candidate to this community for input before you voted for one.”

“I stated when you became Councilors it became your responsibility to continue to allow it or destroy Systemic Racism. I also stated that Black folks were beaten and killed for the right to vote to elect people who would destroy it for them and their children,” wrote Barnes in the e-mail. “You have chosen to maintain it. At this moment in time, where there is a seismic shift in the understanding of Systemic Racism, you voted to perpetuate the Good Ol’ Boy System by rubber-stamping Mr. Griffeth as City Manager. The Good Ol’ Boy System is a by-product of Structural Racism.

“...Simply put, you failed us. Your choice to rubberstamp this City Manager appointment is a disservice to the citizens of Milledgeville. Good Ol’ Boy-ism will never serve the long-term interests of the many; only the few. Again there is a seismic shift of the “isms” that are adversely affecting this community; Structural Racism, Good Ol’ Boy-sim, etc. etc. Time to put into action where you stand!”

Added Barnes later: “The city is still working on a status quo rooted in antebellum ways. It’s the use of a system in which there’s a hyper preference to privileged white males...It’s time for that to stop.”

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Barnes added that his issues with Griffeth began in the fall of 2019, when he and his wife – Toyia Barnes – began planning the Art Health Festival, an annual event held each April on Georgia College’s front campus. The Barneses requested permission to close down several city streets for a road race to accompany the festival. Gregory Barnes said that he and his wife “then hit roadblock after roadblock,” adding that Griffeth and Police Chief Dray Swicord used stall tactics and failed to respond to his e-mails.

Then, in December 2019, Barnes filed an official ethics complaint, citing “discriminatory practices” in the way that his requests for the festival were handled. That ethics complaint later was dismissed after Barnes chose not to attend the Ethics Board hearing on the matter, a decision he made based on the fact that he did not agree with the Ethics Board's procedure and their decision not to hire a special master.

Here is the entirety of Barnes' letter:

For over a decade, Councilman Mullins, the present elected City representative from district five, has been part of a Council thathas failed to address pressing issues affecting the socio-economic condition of the minority-majority in the City of Milledgeville. Issues like the lack of inclusivity of appointed decision-making Boards, overt downtown discrimination against Black males in clubs/restaurants, the decimation of historically Black neighborhoods, and a lack of a strategic plan to support the disappearing job-producing Black entrepreneur, to name a few. Mr. Mullins no longer deserves the automatic support of district five's African American community because of his passiveness to attack systemic discrimination in the City of Milledgeville.

Thus, I strongly urge voters in district five to consider Ms. McQuain, as an alternative to Mr. Mullins if she can commit to championing diversity and inclusiveness as their representative. Hopefully, Ms. McQuain is willing to prioritize what Mr. Mullins has been unwilling to; equality, diversity, inclusiveness, etc.

Finally, like the City, interests in the 5th district have fallen by the wayside for too long. So, make your plan to go vote. Early in-person voting starts October 12th, with November 2nd being election day and your final chance to vote. Vote for the candidate that best aligns with your ideals, not their skin color. Please remember the quote from Zora Neale Hurston, a famous American author, and filmmaker when she said: "All skinfolkain't kinfolk." Whoever you choose, be intentional but plan to go vote.

Gregory Barnes

Milledgeville Resident